Government is developing a policy that will help introduce laws to create a clear national planning system and improve accountability across government.
According to Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, this will enable the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) to strengthen its mandate.
The department is responsible for coordinating planning across government, monitoring progress on national priorities, and evaluating the effectiveness of key programmes in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030 and the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024–2029.
Tabling the department’s Budget Vote in Parliament on Wednesday, the Minister said the development of a White Paper on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is underway and expected to be finalised during the 2026/27 financial year.
During the session, the Minister outlined the department’s priorities for the 2026/27 financial year and welcomed Parliament’s endorsement of the allocated budget of R532.9 million.
“Although the legislative process is underway, the department continues to work with stakeholders to strengthen and integrate planning, monitoring and evaluation.
“In the 2025/26 financial year, the DPME made significant progress in institutionalising the MTDP across government, ensuring stronger alignment between national priorities, departmental plans and budgets,” the Minister said.
The MTDP is the five-year plan guiding the work of the seventh administration in pursuit of three strategic national priorities: driving inclusive growth and job creation; reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living; and building a capable, ethical and developmental state.
The Minister reported that, in the previous financial year, the department worked closely with the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) to assess 55 national and provincial draft Annual Performance Plans (APPs).
She added that this marks a shift from compliance-driven to results-based planning.
“In the process, the department continues to enhance its monitoring systems to track implementation of the MTDP and identify gaps in service delivery.
“Through this work, the department produces in-depth biannual MTDP performance monitoring reports. The latest report, covering October 2025 to March 2026, has just been finalised and shows that the government is making steady progress towards achieving the MTDP priorities,” the Minister said.
The department will also produce a mid-term monitoring report assessing the performance of the government against the MTDP over the past two-and-a-half years.
This will assist the government in identifying bottlenecks and intervening speedily to drive the implementation of MTDP priorities.
“We aim to make these reports accessible to all South Africans through deliberate efforts to share them widely with stakeholders, including members of Parliament,” Ramokgopa said.
These reports are supported by evidence drawn from frontline monitoring.
Over time, the department has institutionalised the practices and discipline of assessing policy and implementation outcomes through frontline monitoring.
“Our view is that plans and policies find real meaning at the frontline of service delivery, where citizens interact daily with the state. The Frontline Monitoring and Support Programme is therefore a cornerstone of the department’s work to close the gap between policy intent and lived experience,” Deputy Minister Seiso Moha said in support of the Minister’s budget vote speech.
The department has also maintained the Presidential Hotline as a vital mechanism for direct citizen engagement and accountability.
During the reporting period, more than 2 300 complaints were received, affecting national and provincial departments, with a 72% resolution rate. -SAnews.gov.za
